Harshvardhan Rane is one Bollywood actor who loves to travel and likes to explore new places. He is also known for his love for nature and often takes solo trips too. So much so that a wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka even approached him to become their ambassador during his recent visit there. The actor took another trip recently and it was to one of India’s biggest pilgrim sites, Varanasi. We asked him a little more about this latest outing and here’s how it went.
1. So tell us about your trip to Varanasi?
I visited Varanasi during the festive period of Diwali. Since it was a quick 2-day trip, I mainly explored Varanasi and I also visited Sarnath- which is a Buddhist centre. And I have to say that it is extremely gorgeous and well maintained.
2. Did you pick the festive season of Diwali for a specific reason?
Yes, I specifically went for the Ganga aarti because I have heard so much about it. I also went to the famous Kashi temple and I feel blessed to be included in the morning aarti.
3. Did you indulge in the delectable food and sweet dishes there?
Yes, I went on a complete binge. It was Diwali so I guilt-free indulged in chats and sweets. I tried a lot of street food, there were some 30 different variations of chaat and all so yum. I also tried the famous Banarasi pan and was quite hooked on to it. The lassi I had over there, was probably the best I’ve had till date. UP and Banaras is famous for it’s milk products, I had a lot of rabdi, ras malai and milk based mithai.
Harshvardhan Rane
Harshvardhan Rane
Harshvardhan Rane
Harshvardhan Rane
Harshvardhan Rane
Harshvardhan Rane
4. Is there any incident that stands out from your trip there?
There is no specific incident that stands out, but the Aarti on the Ganga was an experience in itself. I realised that everything I’ve heard about the holy river is not enough, there’s something so blessed and serene about it. I stayed on the ghats so most of my commute was through the boats. Early morning sitting in the boat and being rocked by the gentle water tides was unreal for me. I also saw the burning ghat which everybody talks about. It was very humbling for me to see a place where life and death exist in such beautiful tandem and the people over there are accepting of both phenomenas.
5. How would you describe your entire experience?
The people of Varanasi have great energy and for me to be in the oldest city in the world which is rumoured to be built on a yantra, experiencing the holy energy, seeing devotees and their faith I feel truly blessed and this was one of my most memorable trips.
That sounds like a rather interesting solo trip and all you travel junkies can definitely take some inspo!